Bold predictions for Round 14

Check out these bold predictions from EuroLeague.net staff members for Round 14 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season.

Zvezda will flip the script against visiting ALBA

by Frank Lawlor

All signs point to apprehension for the host of Round 14's tipoff game between Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (4-9) and visiting ALBA Berlin on Thursday. Zvezda is just 3-6 since Ioannis Sfairopoulos took over as head coach, albeit with five of those losses by 5 points or less. And while visiting ALBA (2-11) sits in the basement of the standings, the German club is getting back three key players from injury this week. What's more, ALBA has won all four of its road games against Zvezda this decade and has an overall 8-2 advantage against the hosts. All that said, pressure is a good teacher and Zvezda simply can't afford to lose this game. The hosts lead ALBA in every statistical category except steals, blocks and free throw percentage. Keep ALBA off the free throw line and this will be the night that Zvezda comes together with its fan base to show what it can do for the rest of the season.

Partizan steals one in Kaunas

by Javier Gancedo

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade may be 1-5 on the road this season but I predict that head coach Zeljko Obradovic's men will bounce back in their Round 14 game against Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. Partizan already beat Zalgiris last season, 74-88, at Zalgirio Arena and arrives to this game with very good momentum, mainly because Kevin Punter is back to lead the team, hitting one clutch shot after another. P.J. Dozier is also on his way up and should be ready to keep it going against Keevan Evans, one of the hardest guards to play against due to his quickness and talent. Bruno Caboclo's addition gives Coach Obradovic a good option to use against center Kevarrius Hayes, too. Zalgirio Arena offers an energized atmosphere, but if any team knows how to play in front of big crowds, that is definitely Partizan. After three consecutive home wins, it is time for Partizan to win on the road.

Monaco to end Fenerbahce’s perfect home record

by Geoff Gillingham

The EuroLeague world was shaken on Tuesday with the news that Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had decided to part ways with head coach Dimitris Itoudis. On Thursday, Fenerbahce announced Saras Jasikevicius as Itoudis's replacement, and he will lead the team for the first time on Friday night against AS Monaco. Nevertheless, I expect Monaco head coach Sasa Obradovic and his team to come away with a win from Istanbul in Round 14. Fenerbahce is a perfect 5-0 on its home floor this season and Monaco has lost on both of its previous trips to Ulker Sports and Events Hall, yet I believe star point guard Mike James will put on a show and guide his team to an important road victory. Winning would further cement Monaco’s place in the top six, while Fenerbahce would remain on the outside looking in with regard to the Play-In Showdown race.

Baskonia bigs have the answers for Toko

by Frankie Sachs

Tornike Shengelia is a beloved figure in Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he spent six years and led Baskonia to the Spanish crown in 2020. He is also playing his best basketball this season with Virtus, which he has sitting pretty in third place while leading the league in performance index rating with an average of 22.3 per game.

However, his return to the Basque Country will not be a triumphant one as Baskonia has the depth needed to give Shengelia a tough time for however long he is on the floor. Between starting power forward Tadas Sedekerskis and supersub Chima Moneke, Baskonia has two outstanding players on the rise to match up with the Virtus star. That should be just what the hosts need to win at home and move into a tie for the third-best record in the competition.

Mirotic-less Milan will shock Palau Blaugrana

by Igor Petrinovic

This was a fixture everyone was expecting ever since All-EuroLeague forward Nikola Mirotic signed with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan this past summer. However, a flare-up of his Achilles tendon problems has put Mirotic's return to Palau Blaugrana on hold. Even without Mirotic, though, this still is a classic matchup of two basketball giants and two pre-season favorites. Through 13 rounds, however, only one of them has been living up to expectations. FC Barcelona enters this game in second place at 10-3, buoyed by a perfect 7-0 record at home. Milan, meanwhile, has a 4-9 record mark after three consecutive defeats. But Milan has plenty of undeniable quality and was oh-so-close to sweeping two road games last week, but had to settle for losses instead. Shavon Shields has been playing lights-out, scoring at least 18 points and hitting at least 3 triples in each of Milan's last six games. Shields will continue on the same path in Barcelona, but this time, will lead Milan to an upset victory.